Filler valves for pulp drinks or the like



Jan. 30, 1962 H. J. GRANIER 3,018,804

FILLER VALVES FOR PULP DRINKS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIE-Iii FIEE Jan. 30, 1962 H. J. GRANIER FILLER VALVES FOR PULP DRINKS OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1959 permit additional liquid to enter the container.

nitecl. States This invention relates to filler valves and more particularly to a counter-pressure filler valve adapted to supply liquid having solid particles therein, to a container.

In counter-pressure filler valves, gas is usually trapped in the neck of the bottle when a desired level of filling is reached. At this point it is necessary to prevent air bubbling up through the liquid portion of the counterpressure filler valve and into the filler bowl which would It was found that if a fine screen was interposed between the liquid portion of the filler valve and the top of the bottle, the screen would prevent the interchange of liquid and gas through it, due to the surface tension of the liquid. Such screen, however, would not operate if the liquid being delivered to the container had pulp or other solid particles in it, since the solid matter would clog the screen and prevent the flow of liquid.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cut-otf valve element for a counter-pressure filler valve which will permit solid material to pass downwardly through the element, but which will prevent gas from passing upwardly from the container through the element and the liquid valve.

A further object is to provide a counter-pressure filler valve that can be used for beverages composed of clear liquid or those containing pulp.

Another object is to provide a counter-pressure filler valve for pulp beverages which can be more economically manufactured than those now in use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved counter-pressure filler valve which will not clog when filling bottles with pulp drinks or the like.

A still further object is to provide a counter-pressure filler valve for a liquid filling machine which will remain free flowing during operation.

Still further objects will become apparent upon considering the following specification, which, when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings illustrate a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section through the center of a counter-pressure filler valve illustrating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 22 of FIG. 5, showing the operation of the snifter valve;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a foraminous element or cutoff valve used in the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line. 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-section similar to FIG. 1, but showing only the center portion of the filler Valve;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of the annular disc shown in FIGS. 3 and 4; and

Sfildfldd Patented Jan. 30, 1962 '7 ice FIG. 7 is a transverse cross-section taken on the line 77 of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the counter-pressure filler valve, generally designated 10, is mounted in the bottom of a filler bowl 12 and is retained therein by a clamp (not shown) engaging under a shoulder 14 on a clamping ring 15.

The valve 10 comprises a liquid valve 26 mounted in a cage 21 and adapted to seat on a valve seat 22, a gas valve 25 mounted on a stem 24 and a cut-off valve adapted to stop the flow of liquid and pulp from the bowl to the container at a predetermined point in the filling operation.

The liquid valve 2i? has an opening 23 axially therethrough which communicates with a valve stem 24 formed integrally with the liquid valve 20. The valve stem has a valve element 25 mounted on its upper end adapted to be opened mechanically by a cam and follower (not shown) to permit counter-pressure gas in the upper part of the filler bowl 12, above the liquid level 28, to pass downward through the stem 24, through the passage 23 in the valve 20, through a vent tube 26 into the bottle 27 through an opening 44.

The valve stem 24 has a guide block 29 mounted thereon, the guide block being adapted to slide in an extension 30 of the valve cage 21. A light compression spring 31 acts between a shoulder in the cage Zll and the guide block 29 urging the liquid valve into open position. The valve 20 opens under the influence of the spring 31 only when the counter-pressure within the bottle 27 is substantially equal to the pressure of the gas in the bowl 12.

The filler valve also has a foraminous element or cutoff valve 35, which is designed to stop the downward flow of liquid and pulp into the container and simultaneously prevent the passage of gas through the foraminous element and through the liquid valve 20 is shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, is composed of a thin disc made of rubber or other flexible material, with a central aperture 36 therein to receive the depending vent tube 26. The aperture may be slightly larger than the vent tube to permit free movement of the vent tube through the disc.

Extending radially outward from the central aperture are a plurality of cuts 38 which extend outward to a point spaced from the rim of the disc 35. These cuts divide the disc into what may be termed a peripheral ring 39 and a plurality of truncated segments 40 formed integrally on the ring. The segments may be separated from each other by narrow elongated openings 38, as shown, which,- when the pressure beneath the disc upwardly equals the pressure of the liquid downwardly above the disc (at the conclusion of the filling operation), the surface tension of the liquid across the narrow elongated openings 38 stops the flow of liquid through the disc prior to the closing of the liquid valve 20.

The foraminous element 35 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is similar to that shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and is composed of a thin flexible disc 39' having cuts 38 defining radially extending segments 49 corresponding to the similarly numbered elements in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Since the action of discs 35 and 35' are identical no further description is thought necessary.

The foraminous element 35 thus formed is disposed in an annular recess 48 surrounding the filling opening be low the valve seat, the actual depth of the recess being greater than the thickness of the foraminous element, and the peripheral diameter of the foraminous element. The element 35, therefore, having a smaller diameter than the recess diameter and a thickness less than the recess depth rests freely on the lower peripheral surface of the recess with its periphery spaced from the periphery 50 of the recess. This leaves the disc free to flex uniformly and to return to its disc-like shape when the pressure is equalized on the two faces of the disc. When the pressure of the liquid from above is greater than the pressure of gas from the bottle liquid flows downward causing the segments 40 of the disc to bend downward and permit the passage of either liquid or solid material through the thus enlarged opening.

A snift valve 46 actuated by a plunger 47 communicates with the interior of the liquid passage through the valve directly below the disc and serves to vent trapped air in the top of the bottle 27.

Operation While the hereinbefore described filler valve is designed primarily for beverages containing pulp, such as orange crush, it is also generally adaptable to fill containers, either cans, cartons or bottles, with clear liquid or liquids containing solid particles of various kinds.

During filling, the bottles 27 are brought onto stirrups (not shown) on the filling machine as the bowl 12 rotates about its aXis, and are raised into sealing engagement with the filler valve as shown at 43.

When the bottle 27 is in sealing engagement with the filler valve a cam (not shown) engages a spool on the upper side of the valve 25 to raise this valve permitting counter-pressure gas above the liquid level 28 to pass downward through the valve 25, through the valve stem 24, through the passage 23 in the liquid valve 20, through the vent tube 26 and through an opening 44 therein and into the bottle 27. Thus gas pressure within the bottle substantially equals the gas pressure in the filler bowl.

When the gas pressures are substantially equal in the bowl and the bottle, the spring 31, pressing upwardly, under the guide block 29, raises the valve 20 off its seat, permitting both liquid and the suspended pulp to flow downward through the valve 20 and onto the disc 35.

As the liquid impinges on the top of the disc 35 the pressure of the water causes the truncated segments 40 to bend downward providing a large unobstructed passage for the liquid to flow thru. Any pulp passing downward through the disc is automatically washed down into the bottle 27 by the liquid, and is not caught on the segments 40 of the disc.

When the liquid level in the bottle 27 rises above the top of the aperture 44 in the vent tube 26 air is trapped in the top of the bottle and any additional liquid entering the bottle raises the gas pressure enough to permit the flexible segments 40 to return to their normal horizontal position.

The spacings 38 between the truncated segments 40, and between the segments 40 and the outer section of the vent tube 26, are narrow enough so that the normal surface tension of the beverage will prevent gas from passing through the disc and bubbling through the beverage in the filler how] 12, while the pressure of the gas beneath the disc 35 prevents additional liquid from passing through the disc into the bottle.

At the conclusion of the normal filling operation, the cam (not shown) mentioned above, closes both the gas valve 25 and the liquid valve 12.

After both the liquid valve 12 and the gas valve 25 are closed, a second cam (not shown) contacts a plunger 47 to open a snift valve and vent air trapped in the neck of the bottle 27.

After the air is released through the snift valve the slug of beverage between the disc and the bottom of the valve 20 drops through the disc ino the bottle to complete the filling to the level desired. The bottle may then be lowered on the filler and capped.

It will be realized that the hereinbefore described form of the invention is merely a preferred embodiment thereof and that various changes in size, shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

That which is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a beverage filling machine having a filler bowl and a counter-pressure filler valve mounted in the lower part of said filler bowl, said valve comprising a liquid passage, a liquid valve adapted to govern the flow of liquid through said passage to a container to be filled and a vent tube adapted to supply counter-pressure gas to the container at substantially the desired height of the liquid in a filled bottle, the improvement comprising a foraminous element mounted in said liquid passage below said liquid valve to prevent return of air to the bowl through said liquid passage, said foraminous element comprising a disc of flexible material having an outer ring and a plurality of substantially segmental sections formed integrally on the inner edge of said ring and extending inwardly toward the center, said sections being spaced apart sufficiently to permit flexing of said sections downward in filling the bottle, and to return to horizontal position when gas pressure below the disc equals the downward pressure of the liquid to stop the fiow of liquid through the disc by the surface tension of the liquid.

2. In a beverage filling machine including a filler bowl, a counter-pressure filler valve having a passage therein, a liquid valve adapted to control the flow of liquid therethrough to a container to be filled, and a vent tube carried by and passing through said liquid valve and adapted to supply counter-pressure gas to said container at substantially the desired height of the liquid in the filled bottle, the improvement comprising, a cut-off valve to stop the flow of liquid to the container and to prevent the escape of gas through the liquid passage and through the filler bowl at the conclusion of the filling operation, said cut-off valve comprising, a disc of flexible material supported in the liquid passage about the periphery of the liquid passage below the liquid valve and above the bottom of the vent tube, said disc comprising an outer ring, and a plurality of substantially truncated segmental sections formed integrally on the inner edge of the ring and extending inwardly toward the center, and defining a circular opening to receive the vent tube, said sections being spaced apart from each other and from said vent tube sufficiently to permit flexing of the sections downward to fill the bottle and to return to horizontal position and stop flow of liquid downward when gas pressure from the bottle exceeds the downward pressure of the liquid in the liquid passage to stop the downward flow of liquid in the bottle, utilizing the surface tension of the liquid to prevent passage of the liquid through the spaces separating the sections.

3. In a counter-pressure filler valve including a liquid passage and a gas passage therethrough, the improvement comprising, a flexible rubber-like foraminous element corn-prising an outer ring and a plurality of truncated segmental sections having openings therebetwcen sufiicient to permit free movement of the sections, while narrow enough to retain the liquid through the surface tension of the liquid when the pressure on the two sides of the foraminous element is equal.

4. In a counter-pressure filling machine including a filler bowl, a liquid passage formed in the bottom of the bowl to supply liquid from the bowl to a container to be filled, means to supply counter-pressure gas to said container, and a liquid valve in said passage, the improvement comprising, a foraminous element mounted in the liquid passage below said liquid valve and above the top of the container to be filled, said element comprising a rubber disc, said disc having a plurality of segmental 5 sections extending from a central opening to points adjacent the outer edge and separated by narrow openings suificiently wide to permit the segments to flex and sufiiciently narrow to permit the surface tension of the liquid to retain the liquid above the disc when the pressure is 10 equal on the two sides thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

